It is obvious, to anyone that visits Pixel Perfect Gaming, that we are bigtime gamers here. While games are important to us, we do read stuff too, both online and off (as in hard copy). That is the purpose of this column, to bring to your attention, our readers, various magazines that we read here at PPG. Some are online only, no print edition available, and some are in print, available on their respective sites for purchase.
Gamecca is an online magazine, available on their site, that is produced completely from South Africa (what, you didn’t know they game too?). Don’t let the fact that it is produced in a country that is pretty much in the middle to everywhere else in the gaming world play on your mind too long. Gamecca is a hard hitting, facts first, low fluff publication from 1337 Media CC that focuses squarely on modern gaming. The January 2010 issue is #7 which features a cover graced by Avatar and is filled to a bristling 100 pages of gaming goodness that features their Best of 2009 Awards (definitely check this article out to find out where your favorite game ranks).
Highly recommended for current generation console gamers looking for a magazine that isn’t scared to call a bad game a bad game.
Gamecca is a monthly magazine that is available online at Issuu (online and download) and on their website located at http://www.gamecca.co.za
Retroaction Magazine is another online only publication, this one focusing more on the retro side of gaming (as the title would suggest). RA is a quarterly magazine, going on issue #4 soon, being produced from Europe but with a gaming staff that spans the globe (I personally have work published in issue #3 for instance). Nothing is off limits for Nreive and his team of writers as not only are classic consoles covered but also classic computers (if you think IBM is the only retro computer out there, you definitely need to check out RA).
Defining pieces of Retroaction include interviews with gaming’s elite (Louis Castle, co-founder of Westwood Studios and executive producer of Blade Runner for instance), How to Cause a Complete Controversy (a column about, what else, how to cause a controversy) and their many “Retro Respect” articles (in depth looks at classic titles).
Retroaction is available in many formats including Issuu, zip and PDF. Average page count is 70+ pages.
http://www.retroactionmagazine.com
Classic Video Gamer Magazine is a quarterly magazine, similar to Retroaction Magazine above, that is available in two formats- print ($5.95) and online PDF ($1.95). ClassicVGM focuses squarely on the era of gaming that ended with Dreamcast, so anything on DC and earlier is fair game. Games that are covered vary widely across the spectrum of available games including Atari 2600 up to the Dreamcast itself (16-bit titles receive a fair amount of coverage). Of the three magazines covered here, ClassicVGM is the only one to offer a printed version which is available on the same paper stock that the venerable Diehard Gamefan was printed on so you know the issues are sturdy, quality prints that will look great in the years to come.
The latest issue, #3 as of this writing, has a cover feature on a newly released Dreamcast title, Rush Rush Rally Racing from Senile Team, also sharing the cover is Zaku from Super Fighter Team (ClassicVGM #2 featured SFT’s Beggar Prince game for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive on the cover). Interesting articles available in ClassicVGM include a Batari Basic column, What’s On Tap and many reviews of titles that will definitely make you miss the old days of gaming.
Classic Video Gamer Magazine varies in page count, is printed quarterly and is available at Classic Video Gamer Magazine’s website.
What We Read at PPG is scheduled to be a regular column, if you have any magazines you think should be considered for featuring here, please contact me and let me know.
